The Best Social Media For Lead Generation

Magicians perfect the art of misdirection. They practice this craft so their audience attentively watches one hand, which distracts them from watching the other. And, in many cases, the other hand is where the magic happens. It might be the perfect metaphor for today’s social media.

If you want to attract high-paying clients, don’t get distracted with Facebook and Instagram. LinkedIn is the hand you should be watching.

“That is where the magic is happening,” says EMPATH brand and marketing consultant Louis Camassa. “Everyone’s attention is on Facebook and Instagram, while LinkedIn is where 80% of B2B leads are generated on social media.”

According to Camassa, LinkedIn is where most Fortune 500 decision-makers and executives like to spend their spare time, and about 45% of LinkedIn article readers are in upper-level positions, such as managers, VPs, directors, and C-level execs. Maybe that is why Microsoft acquired LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in June 2016, reportedly the software company's largest deal ever.

“Besides being the #1 B2B network, LinkedIn has fewer baby pics and cat memes,” says Camassa. “A good profile includes a real first and last name, a professional photo, and a variety of additional credibility builders, like experience, skills, and endorsements.”

If your LinkedIn profile is not at the all-star level, you should work on improving that immediately.

Since LinkedIn is predominantly used for career search and recruitment, adds Camassa, users are less likely to post disagreeable comments and click-bait style articles.

Besides the basics of a professional headshot, compelling summary, and updated experience post, Camassa gives a few additional tips on becoming a master LinkedIn networker:

Generate leads. “Use LinkedIn search as a power tool. Since LinkedIn has over 500 million users, narrow down the list by using its search feature to filter by region, industry, title, company, and more. That makes it quick and easy to generate leads, recruit talent, find a mentor, or connect with an investor.”

Grow your network. “Send connection requests. In a small experiment I sent 150 new connection requests without a message and 150 with a message. Although there was only a 3% increase in acceptance of requests with a message, your message may improve awareness and potential for engagement.”

Reduce LinkedIn spam. “When others view your profile on their desktop, there's a section on the right called ‘People Also Viewed.’ This is also shown on your mobile at the bottom of your profile. This optional section detracts from your profile by making it easy for users to leave it in one click. Plus, you don't control who is shown, for example competitors or people who aren’t aligned with your profession. Disable it.”

Generate Followers. “LinkedIn has two primary ways to post content. One is articles, the other is updates. While articles are long-form, and can include images and styling, the LinkedIn algorithm doesn’t promote them as well as updates. Updates are 1,300-character posts that typically gain more impressions and help to grow your following. Updates that are authentic business stories, experiences, and tips perform the best. To make an update, go to your home page. A box appears at the top with ‘Share an article, photo, video or idea.’ Click on that text to make an update.”

Because Facebook and Instagram get their fair share of attention in the media, the cost of doing business on their platforms has increased dramatically. LinkedIn offers a basic service free of charge, so it remains one of the most cost-effective platforms for gaining attention.

“With its focus on business, LinkedIn has less to do with marketing and more to do with authenticity,” says Camassa. “No magic is needed, just good old-fashioned outreach and authenticity.”

Henry DeVries, M.B.A., cofounder and CEO of Indie Books International, speaks to thousands of business people each year on how to persuade with a story. In his writing and speaking he shares, in humorous ways, pragmatic strategies that can double sales results and achieve m...